I used to rely exclusively on the “Leading Model Retailers” list in Model Railroader magazine for places to stop when I was travelling. Now four of my favorite hobby shops have recently dropped off of that list.
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Micro Macro Mundo, Miami
Gulf Coast Model Railroading, Sarasota
Riverdale Station, Atlanta
Train Central, Indianapolis
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As far as I know, they are all still operational. I have been to each recently. This leads me to believe that there must be several more good shops out there that are not included on this list.
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What is a good source for an accurate list of Model Railroading hobby shops? Google does not help much. Your results are cluttered with Hobby Lobby and Michaels, and they routinely miss the tiny little shops I love so much.
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The hobby retailer list on Walthers seems to contain many out-of-business locations. I hate driving 30 minutes off the highway to find a closed store.
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The last ime I looked at the list on the NMRA site is was woefully innacurate.
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Is there a good list out there anywhere. I used to not understand why people posted in here for advice on shops before they travelled. I travel so much that I would look like a spammer if I did this. What to do?
Very good question, wish I had an answer. I tried "yellow pages.com " too and end up getting EVERY hobby related business and at least 33% don’t have a website.
I’m pretty sure that the hobby shops listed in MR have to pay to be on the list. As for google maps, that might be your best bet but call ahead to make sure they are open. Sometimes that information is out of date.
Then of course there is the real yellow pages printed phonebook. It is renewed annually so you know it is somewhat up to date.
MR charges stores to be in that listing. Many dealers may have found that it was an ineffective use of their dwindling supply of advertizing dollars. I was in Gulf Coast Model Railroading in Sarasota two weeks ago. They were fully stocked with everything from RTR to scratch building supplies. Both times I visited there were plenty of customers and the cash register was ringing. Sometimes you have to dig a bit to find the hobby stores and sometimes when you find them you ask yourself if it was worth the effort.
One potential source of info regarding local hobby shops to visit when traveling: most NMRA divisions and regions have their publications available online (and not just to members either), and many of those newsletter have advertising or make mention of shops that provide discounts or have donated door prizes etc.
One of the large free online monthly magazines has a state-by-state listing that seems to be kept up to date. I don’t think it has every store, but it seems to have most of the well-regarded ones.
I think I recall seeing something lettered for the Stratton and Gillette but their layout appears to be in a rebuilding stage with the normal clutter that comes with such a project. We stayed in Siesta Key for 10 days and I went to the hobby store twice.
We also went to the Suncoast Model Center in Odessa at their Saturday open house. Very nice modelling. Even my wife was impressed. Caught a conversation about a new shop opening in Ft Myers recently. You might keep that one in mind for the next visit.
I think this is what I will start doing. I hope I don’t get too annoying. I am travelling through Tennessee, Indiana, West Virginia, Virginia. and North Carolina soon.
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I figure that is what is happening. I always point out to hobby shops when I visit that “I saw their ad in Model Railroader” because I want them to know how important that listing is to us business travellers.
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LOL! It has been “rebuilding” for decades. They had a fully scenicked Lionel layout for a while, but tore it out and are building a new one in a different spot.
If the on-line magazine is the one I just looked at, it does not list any of the shops the OP mentioned.
So if the magazines, on and off line, get paid to list the shops (and there is no reason for me to think that is not the case), then it all comes down to how the shops want to spend their advertising dollars.
I personally don’t know how any place these days expects to be found by the general public. Maybe by telepathy? I used to use the phone book, but they have become thinner and thinner, so apparently no one wants to pay to be listed there either.
I just searched, hobby shops massachusetts and Pioneer Valley Hobbies in West Srpingfield showed up, among others, one I have used a lot. Different ways to search.
I have done it for a couple other states over the years. Not a big deal. A phone call will tell me if still open.
I have never found a term I can put into Google Search and find hobby shops with a strong presence of scale model trains.
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“Model Train Shop” is the one that seems to work best, but that still does not find all the good shops I know about. If it does not find the ones I know of, I am pretty sure it is also not finding ones I am not aware of as well.
